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“Currently, there are around 1000 schools in Lithuania and more than 300 of them are very small, that is, fewer than 120 students study, and around 100 where less than 60 students study.
When there are few students in a school, the school cannot hire good teachers or pay them well, because it all depends on the number of students and the student baskets, ”said the director of Rating magazine. editor Gintaras Sarafinas.
The current Minister of Education plans to reorganize or liquidate schools with fewer than 60 students. The decision to close or merge the school with another was made by the municipality.
“The main objective of the planned changes is to create preconditions to improve the availability of quality general education, reduce the gap between people from different social groups and use training funds more efficiently,” commented Ramūnas Skaudžius, Deputy Minister of Education, Science and Sports. .
According to Andrius Navickas, president of the Lithuanian Education Workers’ Union, it is difficult to say how to do it best in each case.
“I think the issue will be sensitive enough and each municipality with property rights will probably have to evaluate each case.”
Most of the half-empty schools are located in the border and peripheral municipalities of Lithuania. Some of them have already taken the initiative and are organizing a reorganization of the school network. For example, in the Panevėžys district last year only a few units of primary and pre-school education remained in several schools, and two more schools were closed.
“We had schools, especially in the Panevėžys district. on the outskirts of the annular municipality, and this year we are planning from September 1. the two main schools, which were once large and now have between 50 and 60 children, will become the departments of the closest gymnasiums, ”said Algirdas Kęstutis Rimkus, representative of the Panev distritožys district municipality.
According to Sarafin, other municipalities do not manage and show that they know everything better and also take into account the opinion of their community.
“They say they won’t destroy small schools or improve quality.”
Such plans of the Ministry of Education frighten the rural population, because, according to them, the closure of schools would mean the collapse of rural cultural centers.
“When we could, we set up universal centers with funds from the European Union, including a library, a day center and premises for the resident community,” explained AK Rimkus.
According to G. Sarafino, the buildings will remain and become certain centers, when children who return after school can prepare lessons, play sports or have libraries there.
The ministry should make the final decision on the reorganization of the small school network in early June. The changes would take effect from next year.
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